Lemon Ricotta Crab Ravioli

Is there anything as exciting as eating pasta that YOU made from scratch??? I get that most people haven’t actually experienced this and to be perfectly honest, I only got that thrill from ordering pasta at a restaurant (pre-covid days, lol remember those?) BUT NOW, your favourite blogger received KitchenAid pasta attachments as her Christmas gift and you better believe I was ready to jump on the homemade pasta train as soon as possible.

The original plan was to make simple fettucine noodles with marinara sauce, an all-time classic, and a pretty safe route for someone trying to make pasta for the first time. But then I thought of all the various possibilities of ravioli fillings out there and I couldn’t resist the challenge. Plus, the second I realized I had an extra bag of frozen crab legs left over from NYE, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

So let’s start by making your dough.

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH:

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 – 2 tsp of water

Within the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt using your hands until a shaggy dough comes together. Next, using a dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pulls away from the bowl cleanly. Add 1 tsp of water while the dough is kneading for added moisture , about 5 minutes in. Let that work into the dough fully before adding a 2nd teaspoon if needed.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit while the gluten develops for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Pasta dough can be made up to one day in advance and left in the fridge, before taking out and allowing to come to room temp before using. While the dough is resting, get started on your filling.

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FOR THE FILLING:

• 500g of crab meat, pulled by hand into small pieces
  (thawed from frozen and slightly drained of excess liquid)
• 1/2 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 tbsp of fresh chopped chives + extra for garnish
• zest of 1 lemon
• pinch of salt & freshly ground black pepper
  + 1 egg for egg wash later
  

Combine altogether, except for the egg, and season to taste.

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MAKING THE PASTA

1. Cut the dough into quarters and leave the rest underneath a damp cloth or papertowel while you work. Using the pasta roller attachment on the KitchenAid mixer, adjust the thickness of the roller to setting 1 with the speed of the mixer constantly at speed 2.

2. Run the pasta a few times through one thickness setting, before adjusting it to the next setting. At setting 3, I tend to take the dough and fold the ends of the dough into itself, meeting in the middle. This will create a rectangle sheet of pasta to work with as opposed to a piece with rounded edges and will be helpful when layering the sheets on top of one another to form the ravioli.

3. Continue to do this until you get to the 8th thickness setting. The dough will be ready when you can hold your hands behind the sheet of pasta and see your fingers through it. Do this with the remaining sections of pasta dough, keeping in mind you need 2 sheets to create the bottom and top layer of ravioli.

4. Spoon about a tablespoon of the ravioli filling onto the bottom sheet of pasta, leaving about 2 inches in between each. Next, brush the egg wash around the exterior of the filling to help create a sealant for the top layer of pasta.

5. Place the top layer on top of the ravioli fillings and be sure to squeeze out any air bubbles for each ravioli pocket you create. Doing this will keep your ravioli filling moist and free of air bubbles.

6. Using a pizza cutter or pasta/pastry cutter, create individual raviolis to the size of your liking and set aside on a sheet tray until ready for use.

7. Boil the pasta for up to 10 minutes in salted water (fresh pasta normally cooks faster, but because we have a double-layered pasta, it will take slightly longer to cook the ravioli). Garnish with chives and the cream sauce and serve immediately.

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FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:

• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• Salt + freshly ground pepper
  + squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Sauté the shallots in a medium size pan with the butter until translucent. Next, deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer for up to 4 or 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Next, add the heavy cream and again simmer until the cream has reduced and a glossy sauce is left. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice before tossing with the ravioli gently.

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[Note: In this post, I talk about using the the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment. A pricy investment that also requires the stand mixer too — and I realize that maybe some of my readers don’t have that accessibility at their finger tips. However, rolling out pasta by hand (get ready for a decent workout) and using a crank-handle pasta roller that you attach to the countertop are alternative ways to achieving pasta/ravioli sheets and both provide satisfactory results. So don’t be discouraged!!]

Hope you guys enjoy! As always, peace and good eats,
-A❁